Leading the way was four-time defending champion Lance Mackey, who will be making a bid to join Rick Swenson as the race's only five-time champion. Among those who will try to stop Mackey's reign are Swenson himself, along with four-time winner Martin Buser and 2004 winner Mitch Seavey.

Also entered is reigning Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt, the only musher in recent years to claim a win over Mackey, who was runnerup in the Quest. About a month later in the Iditarod, the two traded places, with Mackey winning and Gatt placing second.

Though the field is likely to double in size before entries close later this year, the first wave of entries is an impressive one that includes eight of the top 10 finishers from this year's race.

Besides Mackey and Gatt, fourth-place Ken Anderson signed up Saturday, as did the five mushers who placed sixth through 10th -- Ramey Smyth, Sebastian Schnuelle, Dallas Seavey, Hugh Neff and Mitch Seavey.

The only top-10 finishers who didn't sign up were third-place Jeff King, a four-time champion who has said he intends to take a break from running the Iditarod competitively, and fifth-place John Baker.

Mitch Seavey was the first to sign up Saturday morning at Iditarod headquarters in Knik, meaning he will be the first musher to draw a bib number next March at the mushers banquet in the week leading up to the race.

The sign-ups were part of a busy day at the headquarters, which was also the scene of a picnic for volunteers and a board meeting at which three new members and a new president were elected.

Joining the board are Mike Jonrowe, Andy Baker and Danny Seybert; they replace Sam Maxwell, Lee Larsen and Jim Palin, respectively. Taking over as president for Lee, who bowed out, saying he believes in term limits, is Mark Moderow of Anchorage.

Next year's 1,000-mile race to Nome begins with a ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday, March 5. The race begins for real the next day in Willow.

2011 Iditarod entries

Mitch Seavey, Sterling; Hugh Neff, Tok; Sebastian Schnuelle, Paxson; Mike Williams Jr, Akiak; Paul Gebhardt, Kasilof; Aliy Zirkle, Two Rivers; Jim Lanier, Chugiak; Jodi Bailey, Chatanika; Melissa Owens, Nome; G.B. Jones, Knik; Ken Anderson, Two Rivers; Dallas Seavey, Willow; Brennan Norden, Kasilof; Kelley Griffin, Wasilla; DeeDee Jonrowe, Willow; Kristy Berington, Kasilof; Wattie McDonald, United Kingdom; Michael Suprenant, Chugiak; Bruce Linton, Kasilof; Scott Janssen, Anchorage; Hans Gatt, Whitehorse; Ellen Halvorson, Wasilla; Judy Currier, Fairbanks; Bob Storey, Willow; Newton Marshall, Jamaica; Billy Snodgrass, Dubois, Wyo.; Lance Mackey, Fairbanks; Martin Buser, Big Lake; Jessica Hendricks, Two Rivers; Michelle Philips, Tagish, Yukon; Gerry Willomitzer, Whitehorse; Allen Moore, Two Rivers; Karin Hendrickson, Willow; Zoya DeNure, Paxson; Ramey Smyth, Willow; Magnus Kaltenborn, Big Lake; Trent Herbst, Ketchum, Idaho; Angie Taggart, Ketchikan; Ray Redington Jr., Knik; Linwood Fiedler, Willow, Lachlan Clarke, Buena Vista, Colo.; Kris Hoffman, Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Tom Thurston, Oak Creek, Colo.; Mike Santos, Cantwell; Robert Bundtzen, Anchorage; Kelly Maixner, Big Lake.